Drinking alcohol.

[Carlg]

Hi all,

Just a quick question to help me. Ive been getting mixed messages over what I can/should drink in terms of alcohol.

So my question is what do you drink in terms of alcohol vs what you were told you should drink?

[Hidden]

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Bhf is always a good yardstick on all things heart related!

[BridBoy]

There are basic questions about lifestyle that Dr's (and insurance companies) always ask you.

Weight/smoker/alcohol/exercise.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that controlling your weight, stopping smoking and drinking and partaking in regular exercise will all improve your well being and quality of life.

My mother was an alcoholic who went to her grave much too early, I dont touch the stuff.

[Hidden in reply to BridBoy]

Whilst I agree sensible weight control, stopping smoking and regular exercise are wise life style choices, giving up alcohol completely is not necessary for 'increased well being and quality of life', provided you are only a moderate drinker such as someone who enjoys a glass or two of wine with a meal, or a beer or two down the pub from time to time. If you have made an informed choice about how much you drink taking into account the recommended limits, your personal health situation, how you drink, what you drink and when, you should not really feel guilty nor indeed be made to feel guilty about drinking alcohol if you enjoy it. That said I completely agree that if alcohol is damaging your health then the benefits of stopping invariably outweigh the harm. However, even that cannot be universally applied, such as an 85 year old person who has failing health not affected by moderate alcohol consumption who might actually enjoy life more by continuing to enjoy an alcoholic drink, rather than feel they have to deny themselves in their twilight years.

[Andyaglok62]

what does your own body tell you? Most people will tell you anything just to keep you qyite or pit you on drugs because they think they know best the truth is noone knows you better than your self other than oir creator

[Manderson27 in reply to Andyaglok62]

Although we often know when something is not right with our bodies we cannot rely on knowing exactly what is wrong without having a medical diagnosis. Often medically trained people do know what is best for us. Drugs save millions of lives and advising people to ignore the very people who are offering trained expert advice and prescribing what could well be life saving drugs is not helpful.

[Andyaglok62 in reply to Manderson27]

not always true yes they may be trained but don't often know how to treat us

[Andyaglok62 in reply to Andyaglok62]

and I was placed on a drug that black out so you no nothing about the indivtional nor how drugs works

[Manderson27 in reply to Andyaglok62]

Exactly, your experience is not a yardstick for others. You don't know their situation either. We should be careful when we give advice to others. Especially if it encourages them to ignore medical advice.

[Andyaglok62 in reply to Manderson27]

if you actually took time to read then you would know I did not tell them to ignore but to listen to their own bodies more

[Manderson27 in reply to Andyaglok62]

I respectfully disagree in that they do very often know how to treat us. Do they get it right all the time? No but self diagnosing can be dangerous and you can always get more than one opinion.

[Andyaglok62 in reply to Manderson27]

no totallt wrong

[Andyaglok62 in reply to Manderson27]

whos the best judge and who knows more than others we do

[Manderson27 in reply to Andyaglok62]

I respectfully disagree. If I get a pain in my stomach there is no way I can know what is causing it without having medical tests done. It could be an ulcer or appendicitis or an obstructed bowel or any of a hundred different things. Self diagnosing and self medicating can be dangerous. But I am derailing the thread so I will leave it at that.

[Captain_Birdseye]

That's probably quite an individual specific topic, as we all have different conditions, medication and tolerance for alcohol.

First thing to bear in mind is that alcohol is not good for humans. Period.

That being said, many people (myself included) enjoy a tipple, so if you want to indulge, be sensible.

Make sure you eat.

Drink plenty of water (alcohol causes dehydration which increases the heart rate)

Stick to your recommended units, and don't save them up to have in one go (no binging). Learn what a unit is, and how binging is defined.

If you can't be sensible, either abstain or be aware there might be consequences.

This has been a sad post for me to write... I'm supposed to be attending a cocktail festival this week and a part of me is upset that I'm missing out on keeping up with my friends/trying lots of new drinks. I could go full pelt, but I know it'll bring my heart rate high enough to cause me pain for a few days. Doesn't seem worth it.

[Ealing2022]

Everyone will be different so I can only tell you what I have experienced. I am on medication to lower BP , amongst other, and have a 'normal' BP due to the medication. Alcohol also lowers blood pressure so I have to limit any drinks I have to one or I find my BP drops substantially and I can feel the effects of this. I used to enjoy wine, beer and spirits but I now limit my intake significantly, no more than two drinks a week. I find that I now enjoy a good quality beer as I can enjoy it for longer and, as it has a higher water content than wine or spirits, it has a less dramatic effect on my BP. I also find I appreciate a good quality beer far more than I did in the past because my intake is limited. A little of what you fancy does you good, providing it really is a little.